Question - are the mechs agile like in Robotech, or are they plodding?

Bit of both, depending on the machines in question, your main battlemechs like the Wolverines, and the Shadow Hawk are more plodding, but they are fast plodders, running about 40-60 mph depending on terrain. The lighter mechs, like the Wasps, Stingers, Wolfhounds, and machines that look agile, like the Phoenix Hawk are more the agile sort.

Short answer: about like football players, the main battle mechs are linebackers and defensive ends, scout and recon mechs are tight ends and running backs. There aren't military machines that do acrobatics, but there would certainly be some weird stuff in the R&D and experimental and proof of concept machines

Uuuuuhm, I added the bare bones like name before I left. I just can't think of anything else right now. She joined the squad because....giant mechs? I mean when is that NOT the answer. Really though, creativity is a fickle beast, I'll catch up, so go right ahead and start.

It's hard to care enough about the fluff inhabiting the giant mech though. If anyone would wanna brainstorm with me that would be great too.

Uuuuuhm, I added the bare bones like name before I left. I just can't think of anything else right now. She joined the squad because....giant mechs? I mean when is that NOT the answer. Really though, creativity is a fickle beast, I'll catch up, so go right ahead and start.

It's hard to care enough about the fluff inhabiting the giant mech though. If anyone would wanna brainstorm with me that would be great too.

Went back and reread the thread, found Maxine, and updated the mecha roster.

Now for some real fun.

Each Battlemech has an internal LAI computer, and these computers have preset personalities, which over time grow, develop quirks, eccentricities and get wiped, reinstalled, patched, updated, and sometimes miss entire system upgrade cycles.

I would like everyone to submit a few characteristics for a generic mecha LAI, and these are going to be shuffled up and then handed out, so you can give one of your players a headache machine, or one that is a peach, but it will be a blind chance, you could end up getting whatever you give. As for Redshirt and Stormtrooper, I will provide their LAI inputs for the pile.

Sample:LAI Persona 'Majel'FemaleHas a soothing matronly voiceHas zero personality and is nothing more than functionally a text to voice interface

Majel is the computer of the Enterprise aka Majel Barret Roddenberry

LAI Persona 'HAL'Male/AsexualHas a very expressive voiceObsessive personality, cannot stand secrets, has to know everythingHas no moral or ethical issues as long as following orders

HAL-9000 is the computer of the USS Discovery

Have fun with it, because the ground crews and computer techs have had plenty of time working with these machines to bring out some personality in the machine. PM your entries, and if you don't want to make one, just PM that and I will cover it.

Discard notions of range and damage as proposed in the original Battletech game. Each of your combat machines, even decades out of date and relegated to garrison duty, could trash almost any weapon in the modern arsenal. They are large, powerful, and ultimately deadly machines.

Autocannons: The Shadow Hawk has a shoulder mounted AC-5. This is neat because it means both hands are free to carry another weapon system, like a second AC-5 Wolverine Style. The Shadow Hawk's gun is a long barrel cannon, and as such it has longer range and greater accuracy. Stressor can hit targets accurately at 2-4 miles with this gun. The Wolverines carry snub barrel AC-5s, which are functionally going to be 75mm versions of Submachine guns. Accuracy isn't great, nor is range, but the gun makes up for it in rate of fire, the snub barrel guns can fire multiple times in a combat round. The Hatchetman has the biggest gun with a shoulder mounted AC-10. Rather than going bigger calibre, the AC-10 on the Hatchetman represents a multi-barrel rotary autocannon like on the A-10 Warthog. THe cannon produces a massive hailstorm of bullets that rip mechs, infantry and pretty much everything in front of it apart.

Lasers:If you can see it, you can hit it. There is no knock-down or knock back from a laser.

Missiles: better for hitting things other than mechs.

Vehicle Specifics:All of the mechs in this unit have two functional hand actuators, meaning that they can carry an additional 'rifle style' weapon system. These are compact and self contained, with the Wolverine's AC-5 basically showing what they look like. The Hatchetman can only equip light weapons and retain the use of it's hatchet (AC-2, Medium Laser 'pistol'). If the Hatchetman forgoes the hatchet, it can carry a standard medium sized weapon. The Shadow Hawk can equip medium and standard rifle type weapons, with one cannon over the shoulder, and a second in it's hands. It can carry either a second AC-5, a Large Laser 'Rifle', or a double barrel medium laser pistol. It can also choose to equip a hatchet like the hatchetman.

The Wolverine gets a special note as it can put down it's main weapon system completely. As such, the Wolverine can equip larger weapons than the Shadow Hawk or Hatchetman can (bonus for being a common mech) and this includes sniper style Light Gauss Cannons, heavier AC-10 rifle style cannons, plasma rifles, or over the shoulder mounts like artillery pieces, large bore mortars, and whatever else suitably anime comes to mind.

Drawback: These things have to be requisitioned from the arsenal and approved by the quartermaster and the unit commander.

Is there a mech sized Bazooka? Yes.Can you have it? Probably not right now.

Jump Jets are available, and they're used for short duration movement.

They are high power high output ion drives and are used in limited bursts as they require a large amount of power, and quickly overheat even with dimensional heatsinks.

There are flight assist backpacks that can be connected to a mech which contain an A-pod, and thrust engines that facilitate an ungainly and not horribly fast mode of flight. These packs are typically used on mechs deployed in space or on one of the flying mech carriers. The mechadrome in Arco San Louis has several of these mech scale jetpacks.

The vulcan cannon for the Hatchetman can and does have the ability to fire a large variety of munitions.

The current payload of the rotary cannon is a standard issue multi-purpose High Explosive Armor Piercing round. It is the most effecting against light to moderately armored targets like power armor troops, skeletrons, and other armored vehicles. It is also quite effective, if not efficient at shredding through light and medium mecha. Contrary to standard battletech rules, this cannon can fire more than one round/burst per turn.

You can make up to 3 declared attacks with the cannon, including strafing attacks, area suppression, or sustained fire. The firepower of this gun dwarfs the potential firepower of the automatic 75mm autorifles the Wolverines are carrying, or the long barrel 90mm cannon carried by the Shadow Hawk. This comes with the drawback that the rotary can deplete it's ammo supply much faster than the autorifles.

Okay, what kind of resources do we have to work with? Scouting Drones? Cloaking devices? Long range guns?

There's no cover and no chance to ambush them unless we pull some kind of ruse. For instance, what is a creche? Is it mobile? How big is it?

The first thing that comes to mind for me is bombardment (if we have long range capabillities) followed by a gradual withdrawal and covering fire to draw them out, but that's only if they lack long range capabillities which would require some scouting on our part, or that we take a chance.

Okay, what kind of resources do we have to work with? Scouting Drones? Cloaking devices? Long range guns?

There's no cover and no chance to ambush them unless we pull some kind of ruse. For instance, what is a creche? Is it mobile? How big is it?

The first thing that comes to mind for me is bombardment (if we have long range capabillities) followed by a gradual withdrawal and covering fire to draw them out, but that's only if they lack long range capabillities which would require some scouting on our part, or that we take a chance.

The Amerikka Command forces are using an EM cloaking device, a mobile shroud generator, and it has scrambled almost anything that runs an EM signal. No CogNet, no drones, no sensors, no computer assisted targeting other than laser designation and 'iron sights'. Your mecha cannot even communicate with each other at the time being. To signal each other, you will have to either resort to mecha hand gestures, or some other optical system. The Shadow Hawk in your squad is the long range fire support with it's long barrel 90mm gun.

A creche is a facility, typically no more than 3-5 stories tall, and having a foot space on par with an apartment complex, as it houses on site staff, as well as a biosciences center/lab where seedlings are spawned and aged and a small motorpool area for their small compliment of vehicles. It is a fixed installation and has no military capabilities, 50% medium structure, 50% light structure.

Whatever plan you decide to go with, Commander, so long as it isn't standing around, giving the commandos time to flank you.

So apparently they just turned it on, or we likely would have noticed as soon as the first mech entered the field - the commanders telemetry should have detected the disconnect, and the radio chatter would have cut off for the first mecha to enter the shroud.

Why is it important? If they just turned it on for us, they know we are here.

Given these are a known device, wouldn't the mechs include line-of site laser communication as standard issue?

So apparently they just turned it on, or we likely would have noticed as soon as the first mech entered the field - the commanders telemetry should have detected the disconnect, and the radio chatter would have cut off for the first mecha to enter the shroud.

Why is it important? If they just turned it on for us, they know we are here.

Given these are a known device, wouldn't the mechs include line-of site laser communication as standard issue?

Seeing as the terrain is flat, and you are in multiple story tall mecha, yes, they know you are here. By turning on the shroud generator, you cannot call in artillery support, or call in an airstrike. By doing this, they have somewhat leveled the playing field, either you will engage them with one squad of mecha against what forces they have, or you will retreat to where you can call in support and request instructions from Command.

Newer machines do have laser comm links, but your machines, benefit of their age and condition (either they never had one, or the one they had hasn't been turned on in so long it might not work)

And while Shroud Generators are known devices, the opinion from the Ivory Tower is that you are the finest soldiers ever trained, in some of the most impressive war machines to ever exist, and if you can't stomp the bejesus out of some terrorists in gas powered chariots because your radio doesn't work, maybe your in the wrong profession. Mecha pilots are supposed to be hotshots, mavericks, and loose cannons, inspiring public support of the military, and acting like the celebrities they are supposed to be. You aren't supposed to be soldiers slogging through the mud.

Ive had enough 20 point shots to the head to be cautious. In game, derek is waiting for orders , do not confuse valadaar for derek.

Fair enough.

I'm not going to make cheap shots against the players, cheap shots aren't fun, and this is RP not tabletop, so that sort of thing isn't going to happen unless it serves to advance the plot, or you are facing a suitable enemy aka a professional rival, headhunter, or a foe that you would get a heads up warning on facing.

This is an initial skirmish, for everyone to get a feel for their machines, and combat.

And while Shroud Generators are known devices, the opinion from the Ivory Tower is that you are the finest soldiers ever trained, in some of the most impressive war machines to ever exist, and if you can't stomp the bejesus out of some terrorists in gas powered chariots because your radio doesn't work, maybe your in the wrong profession. Mecha pilots are supposed to be hotshots, mavericks, and loose cannons, inspiring public support of the military, and acting like the celebrities they are supposed to be. You aren't supposed to be soldiers slogging through the mud.